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Tool My name is…and I’m a tool junkie

Tool
Stellrammer

Stellrammer

Well-Known Member
A few samples of some of the tooling I introduced into the Canadian market.
The odd looking necked carbide endmills are a specialty item for Titanium. Clocking in at between $160 to $400 ea.
The longish polished insert and cutter body are for routing aluminum at staggering rates . Think about 4500RPM and 300IPM at .500” depth, routing wing frames over 40 ft long, with some walls only .125” thickness, for hours in between indexes.
Modular tooling attached to a densalloy carbide shaft, $1k 10 years ago, coupled with a high feed mill. 53028234-1723-4376-90D4-3E5D9642C6A0.jpeg6F77F92F-6D93-4F50-A7AE-365C3ADEF5E9.jpeg25DFAD06-E5AA-4750-97FD-96DD202A6FB8.jpeg498CE8A6-550C-4912-9725-389283C1F1CD.jpeg
 
OK... And...?

Are you selling stuff, or trying to show us what is out there?

After seeing milling machines with 100 yard long beds, and guys with snow shovels moving chips off them (Canadair/Bombardier Plant 1), you are gonna have to come up with something better than that to make an impression.

You know a lot of hobbyists that are going through Titanium like it was free? Not to diss on your post like it sounds, but really, how much does it have to do with "Hobby"?
 
trevj said:
OK... And...?

Are you selling stuff, or trying to show us what is out there?

After seeing milling machines with 100 yard long beds, and guys with snow shovels moving chips off them (Canadair/Bombardier Plant 1), you are gonna have to come up with something better than that to make an impression.

You know a lot of hobbyists that are going through Titanium like it was free? Not to diss on your post like it sounds, but really, how much does it have to do with "Hobby"?
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I retired 10 years ago.
Just some of the things that are interesting to me, and highlight the performance and the high cost of achieving it in the competitive market place, that we don’t have to concern ourselves with as “ hobbyists “
Regarding Bombardier, you are correct, that is a specially designed router, made by my former employer, some 35 years ago, still in use today. The Transit plant in China uses them to rout the panels.
The small 2” cutter is utilized in wing frames and such mostly on SNK style machines of less than 50 feet of travel.
I think it’s an interesting progressive Ive seen from the early 70s when coated carbide did not exist and there were over 200 manufacturers of HSS tooling in North America alone.
 
Looking back on the past 20-30 years there have been staggering improvements in manufacturing technology. I'm at the halfway point of my career and always curious about how the next 20 are going to pan out. Always trying to stay on top of the wave. I don't think it's possible to simply tread water anymore. Too much global competition.
 
Dan Dubeau said:
Looking back on the past 20-30 years there have been staggering improvements in manufacturing technology. I'm at the halfway point of my career and always curious about how the next 20 are going to pan out. Always trying to stay on top of the wave. I don't think it's possible to simply tread water anymore. Too much global competition.
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The progression gets compounded when it requires a totally different set of skills. Every apprentice had to know how to sharpen a drill, make forms on a brazed tool, basic manual machining techniques. So much collective knowledge that is rendered obsolete in today’s manufacturing.
The pace of change accelerated rapidly, the tooling outpaced machinery’s capabilities, then tooling had to catch up to the machine’s capabilities.
I’ve been out of that loop for 10 years and can imagine how much more has changed, and I don’t begrudge the change.
It’s nice to be able to lend some advice in a forum such as this to assist enthusiasts starting out or still using the “vintage” equipment and learning how to become better machinists or just the basics.
 
Stellrammer said:
The progression gets compounded when it requires a totally different set of skills. Every apprentice had to know how to sharpen a drill, make forms on a brazed tool, basic manual machining techniques. So much collective knowledge that is rendered obsolete in today’s manufacturing.
The pace of change accelerated rapidly, the tooling outpaced machinery’s capabilities, then tooling had to catch up to the machine’s capabilities.
I’ve been out of that loop for 10 years and can imagine how much more has changed, and I don’t begrudge the change.
It’s nice to be able to lend some advice in a forum such as this to assist enthusiasts starting out or still using the “vintage” equipment and learning how to become better machinists or just the basics.
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Yeah, that makes the point that it really does not pay, to pay too much attention to what the new latest and greatest is, as unless you are in an environment where it will help you out some way, it's just background noise.

There is some pretty neat machine and tooling technology out there, but most of it is never going to apply to broad based applications, as it simply costs too much to own and operate. All well and good if you are making millions of parts, or making extremely high value, limited use components like Turbine blades, for instance, but trying to stay on top of it all is increasingly just, well, a waste of time, for a guy with a Manual, 1950's era equivalent, set of machine tools, which, if you dropped a 1900 era machinist among, he would likely recognize. Other than that there was no forge in the shop for shaping lathe tooling...

Carbide has gotten cheaper and more available. Precision measuring equipment too. Thanks to the cheap junk 3D printers, kids (some anyways) are becoming familiar with 3D modelling software.
CNC has moved out of Government funded Labs, and into home shops. Not all bad things. Just, can't find it in me to care, when I see an ad pop up for a "REVOLUTIONARY!!!!" new coating for end mills or inserts that will supposedly change the world. No, It won't. Some process Engineer might figure it will save them a few cents per thousand units, which would maybe make it worth exploring, but, that ain't me either...
 
Yeah I liked P.A. when they use to sell all sorts of stuff that you could use in your projects now it’s like going to Crappy Tire or the Dollar Store.
 
Tom O said:
What I hate is walking through PA or KMS and not seeing anything I really could use.
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Yeah same here. Even on a lot of auctions I have a problem as I just have... everything....

My latest problem is that I think I got ... all the possible chucks for my lathe (the smaller D1-3).
I have 2x 3 jaw, 2x 4jaw, face plate, 6 jaw, ER collet chuck, 5c collet chuck, magnetic chuck and I just got a 4 jaw self centering. I guess is set true was cheaper that is the only one left... any ideas? Am I missing something? Do I have a problem with too much collecting? ;)
 
Tom Kitta said:
Yeah same here. Even on a lot of auctions I have a problem as I just have... everything....

My latest problem is that I think I got ... all the possible chucks for my lathe (the smaller D1-3).
I have 2x 3 jaw, 2x 4jaw, face plate, 6 jaw, ER collet chuck, 5c collet chuck, magnetic chuck and I just got a 4 jaw self centering. I guess is set true was cheaper that is the only one left... any ideas? Am I missing something? Do I have a problem with too much collecting? ;)
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Hoarding is a real thing and a difficult problem for many. However I think maybe machinery and tooling may be exempt from the affliction.
 
DPittman said:
Hoarding is a real thing and a difficult problem for many. However I think maybe machinery and tooling may be exempt from the affliction.
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@Tom Kitta - DPittman is right. Machinery, tooling, and stock are all exempt from this affliction.

If you spend time in your shop ENJOYING it, then it is NOT hoarding. It is a hobby just like any other hobby. Most hobbies involve some level of collection.

Are stamp collectors hoarders?
Are coin collectors hoarders?
Are geneologists hoarders?
Are fishermen gear hoarders?
Are hunters gear hoarders?
Are cooks gear hoarders?
Are astronomers hoarders?
Are photographers hoarders?
Are seamstressers hoarders?
Etc etc etc -
the list goes on and on.
 
Susquatch said:
@Tom Kitta - DPittman is right. Machinery, tooling, and stock are all exempt from this affliction.

If you spend time in your shop ENJOYING it, then it is NOT hoarding. It is a hobby just like any other hobby. Most hobbies involve some level of collection.

Are stamp collectors hoarders?
Are coin collectors hoarders?
Are geneologists hoarders?
Are fishermen gear hoarders?
Are hunters gear hoarders?
Are cooks gear hoarders?
Are astronomers hoarders?
Are photographers hoarders?
Are seamstressers hoarders?
Etc etc etc -
the list goes on and on.
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It depends which lens you are looking at it through, your wife's or yours.:)
 
Hacker said:
It depends which lens you are looking at it through, your wife's or yours.:)
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Even my wife, who is a neat freak's neat freak would say that my hobby activities fall outside of disorders like hoarding.

She has other names for my hobby activities ....... None of them are kind......
 
thats 'cuz you make her crawl around looking for small parts you lost on the floor lol

If the tools are used its not hoarding. If you can sell the duplicates without pain you're not a hoarder. That's my criteria.

The grey zone is all the crap that might be useful one day....then sits for 30 years. If you acquire it because of a project need, you're ok. If you conjure a project because you acquire it, that's a warning sign. Been rationalizing some of that lately.
 
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Mcgyver said:
If you conjure a project because you acquire it, that's a warning sign. Been rationalizing some of that lately.
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You need counselling. Your self esteem levels are way too low..... The rest of us think of you as a highly accomplished machinist and we aspire to have half of your hoarded junk.

That's a compliment.

You might like to know that I am a licensed public-domain titanium-seal machinist hoarding disorder therapist. Treatment is free (no deposit either) and is guaranteed to achieve 100% success in just one treatment session. Basically, I arrive with my 27ft flatbed and a bottle of heavy duty anti-hoarding pills (sleeping pills), sort through the things that I think are affecting your attitude and relieve you of all the pain associated with deciding what is good for you and what is not. Basically, you take 3 of the pills, and when you wake up, all thoughts and fears about being a hoarder will be completely erased the moment you enter your shop. You will be absolutely thrilled to have whatever I have left for you to enjoy and be equally thrilled to be so free to go and add to your equipment, tooling, and stock supplies with all the anxiety associated with acquiring new stuff totally and completely wiped out. To assist with the recovery process, I will give you two labels to apply to whatever you feel least guilty about. They can not be applied to buildings or doors. If you want, you can also stay and supervise. Just signal what doesn't affect you by raising your hand in your sleep.
 
I don't think I am.....but my bride or a glimpse at whats still there might provide evidence for the prosecution
 
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